Dodge Charger is a car available in different body styles, sizes, and trim levels. In addition, it has a larger fuel tank suitable for longer trips.
But still, you can face situations when it gives low fuel warning to inform you of tank refill. However, you can cover some distance from the remaining gas to the nearest gas station.
How Far can a Dodge Charger go with the gas light ON? Dodge Charger can cover 25-50 miles with the low gas light on 2-2.5 gallons of fuel left in the tank. It has a tank capacity of around 18 to 20 gallons. Amongst the 5 engine options for this car, the supercharged 6.2L V8 Hellcat has the minimum range with reserve fuel. Constantly driving with a low fuel level in the tank has severe consequences like damage to the engine, and fuel pump, with increased chances of accidents. The distance to empty (DTE) function helps estimate the number of miles on remaining fuel, but it stops working after a low fuel warning light.
This article will guide Dodge Charger owners regarding the reserve amount of gas in the tank when the low fuel warning starts blinking.
How much is the remaining fuel in the tank with the gas light ON?
Dodge Charger has an 18-19 gallons fuel tank capacity, which is sufficient for long trips. It has a float-type mechanism to detect the gasoline level.
The low fuel level indicator takes input from the sensor and activates when it goes beyond a certain threshold.
The amount of reserve fuel in the tank varies according to the model, trim level, and sensor installed.
Therefore, you can expect a slight variation in even two vehicles with matching specifications.
According to the manufacturer, the remaining amount of gas in the tank when it indicates refilling is 2 gallons.
However, data collected from different car owners shows that it varies between 2-2.5 gallons.
It also depends on the accuracy of the level sensor. For example, if a sensor or connected variable resistor has a larger tolerance value, it will give low gas light well before 2-2.5 gallons.
Moreover, temperature variations can also have a negligible effect on the level sensing mechanism and its components.
Therefore, refill the tank when the fuel level goes below 1/4th of its capacity to be on the safe side.
How Many Miles Can a Dodge Charger go with the gas light ON?
Dodge Charger can cover 25-50 miles on the reserve fuel with an empty tank.
Therefore, you can expect an average value after testing your vehicle 2-3 times in such conditions with the warning light.
However, the actual range can vary according to many factors like your driving style, vehicle condition, mileage of your car, and fuel quality.
For example, the 2021 model estimated fuel economy is 18-20 mpg in city areas and 29-30 mpg on the highway.
It means you can cover more distance with remaining fuel while driving in highway style at high speeds with less frequent braking.
Driving with frequent stops and low rpm will reduce distance with low gas light ON. Similarly, a well-maintained vehicle will cover more length of the journey than the one in bad shape.
Moreover, It also depends on the model year of your car. The latest models are comparatively more fuel-efficient in reducing environmental pollution by meeting the strict EPA measures.
Therefore, they will cover a few miles more than the earlier models. For example, the 2009 model has an EPA rating of 15-17 mpg in the city and 24-26 mpg on highways.
However, it is less than the rating of the 2021 model. Therefore, the 2021 model will cover 8-10 miles more than the 2009 model of the same vehicle.
Effect of engine type on the mileage of Dodge charger
The engine type has a significant impact on its gas economy, and resultantly there will be a difference in distance covered with low gas.
There are 5 engine choices available on the 2021 Dodge Charger. You can choose from the 3.6-liter V6, 5.7-liter Hemi V8, 6.4-liter Hemi V8, and 6.2-liter V8 Hellcat with a supercharger and its High Output Hellcat Redeye V8 engines.
The 3.6L V6 is the most fuel-efficient, with an 18-20 mpg city and 29-30 mpg highway rating. The 5.7L Hemi engine has an estimated 15-17 mpg city and 24-26 mpg highway rating.
The 6.4L Hemi has a slightly lesser EPA mileage of 14-16 mpg in the city and 23-24 mpg in highway-style driving.
Finally, the 6.2L V8 Hellcat and its High Output Redeye variant have the least average of 11-13 mpg in the city and 20-22 mpg in highway areas.
For example, models with a 3.6L V8 will go farthest with the empty tank. Other models, especially with 6.2L Hellcat engines, will traverse the least distance because of the minimum EPA estimated economy.
Does a Dodge charger consume more gas with a low fuel indicator?
It is a myth that the fuel gauge of a Dodge Charger moves rapidly as the amount in the tank reduces.
However, it is not valid, and the phenomenon is due to the working mechanism of its sensor.
When the tank is full, the float of the gauge sensor stays on the top, and there is no change in its position when the level goes beyond a certain threshold.
Therefore, it does not give a linear display of the tank level on its gauge. As a result, it will move slowly at full tank levels and rapidly as the tank empties. However, it does not have any impact on its consumption.
Moreover, the fuel tank doesn’t have a perfectly rectangular or symmetrical shape. Instead, it has depressions and curves in its bottom to make it fitment on the vehicle.
Therefore, a float sensor can only give you an estimated amount of remaining fuel in the tank with slight variations possible despite its calibration from the manufacturer.
What are the consequences of driving with low fuel light?
Driving with a low warning light has different possible consequences, from harm to fuel pump and engine to have an impact on your social life and safety.
Running the engine with low fuel warning will force the pump to push the debris and sludge in the tank bottom towards the engine.
Safety-related consequences include sudden stoppage of your vehicle in the middle of the road on highways. It can result in a possible accident.
Moreover, engine stoppage will also result in the loss of the hydraulic system, steering control, and brakes. If you are not a good driver and cannot control your car, the results will be catastrophic.
Stranded in some lonely place on a highway with no gas station or help nearby can also have a strong psychological impact.
Moreover, it can cause you to run into a panic or anxiety situation when you are getting late for an appointment, and the low fuel light comes ON.
How far can Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye go on empty?
Dodge Charger with supercharged 6.2L Hellcat engine and its High Output variants are power beasts having 700-790 hp.
They have the least EPA rating owing to their powerful engine and more weight. Moreover, it has 2 dual-stage fuel pumps to feed gasoline to the engine.
They have a range of 11-13 mpg in the city and a 20-22 mpg on the highway.
It has a reputation for emptying the full fuel tank at full throttle in 10-12 minutes. Therefore, with 2-2.5 gallons left in the tank, it will roughly cover the 25 miles on this remaining gasoline if it’s in good shape.
You can slightly increase the range by switching to ECO mode, but still, it will be sufficient to cover a few miles.
Is the DTE function on a Dodge Charger same as low fuel light?
It has a distance to empty (DTE) function on the instrumentation cluster.
It has a different role from low gas warning light to calculating the number of miles you can cover on the remaining gas in the tank.
It bases its calculation on the fuel level in the tank and your current mileage. Therefore, it is prone to variation according to your driving style.
However, when this warning light starts blinking on the dashboard, DTE also stops working after a while.
It will show a LOW indication or stop giving the value of possible distance on the remaining gas.
You may find it annoying as it will not be of any help if you don’t know how much of the journey your car will cover on leftover gasoline in the tank.
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